The Kitchn: There’s nothing quite like homemade beef broth
Instead of adding loose herbs into the stockpot, or even a bouquet garni, I like to create a sachet d’epice. It’s similar to a bouquet garni in the sense that it’s a bundle of herbs and aromatics, except that said herbs and aromatics are enclosed in a cheesecloth and tied into a bundle with butcher’s twine. I did side-by-side testing and can confidently say that using the sachet yields a clearer, less murky broth, as the cheesecloth protects some of the impurities from escaping (which also means less skimming any scum from the surface).
Don’t have any cheesecloth handy? Fear not! Use a large coffee filter to use as the outer layer of the parcel. You can also use coffee filters instead of cheesecloth to line the fine-mesh sieve when straining at the end! To avoid a cloudy broth, avoid pressing the solids through when straining at the end.
Beef Broth
Makes 4 to 7 1/2 cups
4 pounds meaty beef bones, preferably a mixture of oxtail, short rib, beef shank, and marrow
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 medium carrots (about 8 ounces total)
3 medium stalks celery (about 6 ounces total)
2 medium yellow onions (about 15 ounces total)
3 large cloves garlic
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